“Aye,” he spoke to her mind. “I hope to someday be a closer friend to you, as well.”
Ana heard footsteps coming up from the alley in front of them, but couldn’t see who they belonged to. As the figures moved into the light she saw that it was Xander, Caedmon, and Saija all coming up from the docks. The alley was a popular shortcut from the beach to the bar. When the group saw Ana and Stefan in the dirt before them their faces quickly changed from amusement at whatever they were discussing to confusion and worry.
“Ana?” Xander rushed to her side and helped her off of the ground. She brushed the dirt from her linen dress and sighed as he pulled her close to him. “What happened here?”
Stefan was already standing, brushing dirt from his own clothes with his free hand, still holding the cloth to his wound with the other. “I was walking to work when this one collided into me at full speed.”
All eyes moved to Ana who scowled in Stefan’s direction. “It’s true. I was running and not paying attention to where I was going…”
Xander’s brow was furrowed, looking around their surroundings suspiciously. “Why were you running?”
Ana looked from Xander to the rest of her companions in turn, and then finally back to Xander. “I got in a fight with my father. I’d like to talk to you about it while you walk me home, if that’s okay.”
Xander simply nodded and put his arm around her to steer her towards the village. The rest of the group sensed that there was no need to bid them farewell in their state of mind, so they just continued in the direction of The Saving Grace. Stefan went into the tavern first to tend his injury, but Saija and Caedmon lingered for only a moment to watch their friends disappear into the dark night.
Xander
“And so with the aid of his comrades the explorer returned home, his ship laden with decadences never before heard of in Gaian history.” Xander looked up from the book with a sly smile seeking the approval of Sophia sitting beside him.
She returned it. “There’s not much more I can teach you, Xander. You are a good pupil.”
“Thank you,” the young man replied. “I’m sorry I’m not able to come as often as before…”
“Oh hush,” the middle-aged woman scolded in jest. “You have duties to attend to now, dear. Your studies with me are nearly done.”
“I shall miss these lessons though,” Xander said and he realized he meant it. Spending time with the learned woman gave him a bit of respite from the everyday. Despite her harshness at times, Sophia was a gentle woman who was almost always ready to deliver a smile.
“You shall miss the food, no doubt,” Sophia allowed. She chuckled for a heartbeat then grew serious. “If your intentions are correct I don’t doubt that in time you shall be dining with us anyway.”
Xander blushed. “You know too?”
Sophia nodded. “You two are not well-known for discretion. I only hope you hold respect for our daughter. Thomas is not the most forgiving man.”
“He was our main reason for secrecy, although apparently we failed at that.”
“Thomas loves Ana very deeply, Xander,” Sophia said coolly. “He only wants the best for his daughter.”
“As do I,” Xander replied. Taking note of the slight arrogance of that statement he cleared his throat. “I love her as well, you should know. Ana is not some soldier’s trifle.”
“You have my blessing then,” Sophia said. “However, Thomas’ will not be so easy to get. He had a discussion with Ana already about the matter, but I think he understands that the correct feelings are in place in spite of his own. That’s what’s most important for the time-being.”
“Is there anything I can do to place myself in a better light?” Xander inquired.
“You are a good man, Xander,” Sophia stated. “Time will serve to show Thomas your true nature.” She closed the book before him and stood from the table. “I think we’re done for the day. You shall miss tomorrow’s lesson, correct?”
“I have patrol duty tomorrow,” Xander said uneasily. “But in two days’ time I’m yours again.”
Sophia sighed. “Until then, young man.”
He gave her a brief hug and strode nervously from the house. Parents were never something he had to worry about before. The complication was minute, however, for his feelings were able to justify seeing Ana. The young warrior even felt a spring in his step as he walked to The Saving Grace. This is what a real relationship feels like. The idea of hiding his feelings for Ana was so recent yet it seemed a million years prior. He had no reason to sneak a kiss anymore. She was his woman in full now.
The noise of The Saving Grace was deafening. There were nearly a hundred people in the tavern that night, all of them telling tales and jokes mixed with the sounds of numerous empty mugs smacking the tables in summons for more. Stefan was behind the bar with anxiety creasing his features as he filled cup after cup of wine, ale, and mead. Caedmon was at the bar as well, talking to one of the sailors from Brennus’ vessel. Xander was glad to find none of his own men in the mix. They knew they needed to get some sleep before a patrol, and that had been his first lesson to the thirty-eight soldiers.
Saija and Ana were sitting at a table alone but two young men looked intent on seating themselves as well. They both wore the green and white of House Adliger on Tethys. Xander made his way to the pair and placed his hands on Ana’s shoulders. He gave a curt smile in the other men’s direction and they took the hint and looked for other women to indulge them.
“Thank the gods,” Saija proclaimed. “Dumbass Caedmon didn’t even notice those men bothering us.”
Xander laughed. “I wouldn’t take it personally.”
Saija looked at him askance. “I don’t. I would just think he would want to come interrupt them at least with Ana in mind.”
“He knows where my loyalties lie,” Ana declared, revealing a bit of Caedmon’s mind. “He would have stepped in if anything became more than flirtation.”
“I suppose you know best,” Saija replied with a shrug. She drained her wine.
“I wanted to speak with you,” Xander whispered into Ana’s ear.
“I know,” she replied. She gazed up at him with her doe eyes and he had a moment where all he wanted to do was kiss her passionately then and there.
“I’m taking my leave anyway,” Saija announced. Ana apologized for singling her out but Saija waved it away. She laid a few coppers on the table and with a nod to Xander stood and made her way to the door. On the walk she bumped a hip into Caedmon who cursed as his wine spilled on his boots. With a backwards glance at who it was he merely shrugged and resumed his conversation.
“Let’s take a walk, you and I,” Xander suggested.
Ana stood and wrapped a woolen shawl about her shoulders. Winter may have been coming to a close but a chill lingered in the air after dusk. The sea brought its salted scent to Triton but with it came the briskness of the moonlit water. The pair walked into the gathering night and after a few moments Xander slipped Ana’s delicate hand into his own.
“About our conversation the other night. Your mother spoke to me this evening and she knows about us as well,” he began, fully aware not only that she knew this already but also that she knew what he had wished to speak of.
Ana giggled at her lover’s thoughts. “Yes she does. My mother seems to think we make a cute pair, I believe. My father on the other hand…”
“Thinks I am lowborn, driven by lust, and have no steady future,” Xander suggested.
“So Thalassans can read minds!” she exclaimed. Seeing the seriousness on the young man’s face she relented. “Yes, all those things. But somehow I am not worried. You will prove him wrong. Just give it some time.”
“I hope you’re right,” Xander said. They detracted off Triton’s street and onto the dark beach where the tide came up close to their feet. Ana kicked off her sandals to walk barefoot. Her toes were dainty to match the little feet that bore them. With one hand in Xander’s and the other holding u
p the hem of her dress, they walked in comfortable silence along the cold sands of Triton.
*
The wind was slack and as such the sail was left furled. The oars bit into the water with mixed precision and lack thereof. Xander and his crew had ventured out on nearly ten patrols since he acquired the vessel from King Philip and already he could tell the soreness of the past month was beginning to show its worth. He could pull the oar for longer and even his mail cuirass was starting to feel a little snug against his frame.
One of Xander’s foremost principles in commanding his own vessel was his willingness to do everything that he asked of his men. There were thirty-nine of them on board, including himself, and seventeen oars a side to give the ship a swiftness that rivaled most in the fleet. Well, would have, rather, if the rowers could figure out a rhythm that matched that of the oarmaster’s drum.
The Victory had branched off north and east when they were only about fifteen miles from Triton, with Xander and his crew making for west instead. His ship was named Lepida, an old age word for “blade.” Xander thought the name appropriate given the shape of the vessel was that of a thin leaf. It also had the potential to cut through the water swiftly. That had mostly been proven on the times when the oars were shipped and a brisk wind propelled it.
Lepida’s thirty-nine men were mostly plucked from Sir Aldous’ household, an option Xander was reluctant to act upon but they were bored and volunteered to get a different bit of scenery. Aidan had stayed behind and took up Xander’s old position, albeit reluctantly, but he was happy for a new level of respect had gone his way. In reverence to the offended Sir Aldous, Xander had made the ship’s colors blue and yellow, as though it were a representation of Triton’s former constable himself. There was also the benefit of most of the soldiers never needing to acquire new cloaks. All the young man had to do was dye the sailcloth blue, which he found a beautiful color for a vessel anyhow. Sir Aldous was a bit more forgiving at that notion, not to mention the fact that his ranks had nearly been filled already.
Before his first voyage Xander had also spent several silvers from his savings on a shield that would bear the colors. Many of Triton’s trees, beech and lime alike, had been cleared to make room for the new settlers, but the wood had been delivered to a craftsman who constructed well-balanced shields. Xander had the man paint the wood blue, and used a bronze boss in the round shield’s center instead of iron. It was a more costly inclusion than the iron would have been, and a bit heavier, but concentrated bronze offered the same protection as the iron would have and the yellow-orange metal matched his cloak almost perfectly.
Victor sat in the crow’s nest overlooking the ocean while Xander worked hard against the water. In the helm of the vessel, a burly youth named Saturnus, held firmly to the ship’s wheel and squinted ahead at the bright sea. Every so often Xander would shout orders at a sailor he found lacking, barking quick instructions on keeping busy and ensuring the vessel was secure in every facet.
“North and west!” Victor shouted from his peak. He looked down at the men working the oars dozens of feet below him. “One ship to the north and west!”
Xander’s heart stopped. Men arched their necks in strain to see what lay ahead. Xander snapped at his men and leapt up from his bench to climb the rigging for a better look. He followed the direction of Victor’s index finger and sure enough found a brown speck against the bright blue horizon that betrayed a Gaian presence.
“You heard him, Saturnus,” Xander announced. “North and west, take us there. We’ll greet the bastards in person.” Saturnus nodded and shifted the ship’s wheel slightly to port. “Jake! Toss me that rifle!”
The young soldier hurried between the benches to retrieve the second rifle out of the two Lepida had. Xander took the musket and shimmied up a little farther on the rigging to extend the barrel to Victor. “That’s two for you up there,” Xander said with a grimace as he stretched. Victor nodded and began to lean back in his small barrel atop the mast. “When you reload, stay down. Don’t be popping your head up, you’ll make a fine target for any of their archers. You reload both rifles in there at the same time, understand? Pop up, shoot. Pop up, shoot. Reload.”
“Aye, sir,” Victor said. He squatted low in the crow’s nest.
The speck in the distance was growing and before long the sail could be seen as a white square against the blue backdrop of the sky. The ship was heading in their direction but Xander figured that as probably typical. Gaians had a reputation for thinking themselves terrifying, and so they probably figured Xander would turn away and head back for Triton’s safety. He grinned. Not today.
“Arm yourselves,” Xander told the oarmaster and another man doing nothing, as well as Saturnus at the wheel. He was able to let go for a moment to pull his mail over his head. Xander did the same and placed a helmet atop his short hair too. The sword and pistol straps felt tight against his mail. The lieutenant took hold of the ship’s wheel and motioned for Saturnus and the others to take up three of the rowers’ positions so they could ready themselves as well. So it spread along the ship, with three men at a time suiting up and getting their weapons ready until the Lepida was nearly upon the enemy.
Their faces could be seen in full now, and as soon as that realization came so did the first arrows. Four shafts arced from the Gaian vessel and Xander’s men reacted instantly, the starboard side shipping their oars to pluck up limewood shields. The missiles smacked against the wood in resonance nearly as loud as Xander’s heart drummed. He shouted to the portside oarsmen to ship their oars as well and deftly guided the Lepida alongside the Gaians bellowing orders of the same kind. Their sail was furling as another five arrows were loosed even closer this time. The bows of the vessels scraped together as the Lepida sidled its starboard side against that of the enemy.
“Fire!” Xander shouted and instantly there was a torrent of gunfire and the smell of burnt sulfur as the flintlock pistols of his crew responded to the command. Three Gaians were hit but the rest hoisted shields of their own that they locked together in heartbeats. Grappling hooks were tossed from each side and the ships were both pulled close like wooden lovers, their sides thudding against one another to jostle the men on board. “Lock shields!” Xander bellowed.
The wood rattled as men along the line formed up, leaving only one space in the line that Xander filled instantly. They stared at the men just yards away and waited for them to make the first move. Taunts were called from both parties and men rattled shields against swords, spears, and axes. A shot sounded from above them all and the brief moment when the Gaian eyes looked up allowed Xander to shuffle his men forward. They vaulted over the railing of both vessels at once and instantly the silence turned to screams as men swinging weapons found their mark.
Xander stood between Jake and another of his soldiers, their shields overlapping to protect each man with an inch of wood and two inches in other places. The Gaians tried to end the fight quickly, moving forward in an attempt to toss their enemy from their vessel but Xander’s line held firm. Another rifle shot sounded and was followed by the smack of flesh. The Thalassans pushed back and taunted their enemies with vagaries on how their mothers liked to couple.
Jake found a hole before him and slid his spear in and out like a snake’s tongue, flicking into his opponent’s calf. The Gaian screamed and charged forth focusing on the youth before him and oblivious to Xander’s sword that sheared through his helmet and splayed his brains on the deck. Jake surged forward to kill the man that looked to take the dead Gaian’s place. All along the Thalassan front there was a jumble as men searched to kill with their long weapons. The Gaians with their shortswords were making quick work of those with longswords and spears that had no room to maneuver the lengthy weapons in the shield wall.
“Back one!” Xander barked and the men who heard followed suit. They took one step back and so let the Gaians shuffle forward, but moving as one swung the longer weapons to greet their foes. Xander looked to the man
just before him who moved nervously against the silver chained Thalassan he took for a captain. With his dark eyes focused on the coward Xander used his peripheral to stab out at the man to his right. The Gaian saw it coming, or heard Xander’s thoughts, and so stepped out of range when another rifle shot sounded and a hole ripped into his bucket helm.
“Pull back!” a Gaian shouted and his men tried to untangle themselves from three-dozen Thalassans.
The craven before Xander attempted one half-driven sword thrust and lost his hand for the effort. He screamed and was pulled back into the second line when a shot resounded that cut his shrieks short.
“Back, I said!”
“Forward!” Xander screamed and the line moved without any apprehension this time. Some of the men were blooded now and in that moment all they wanted was more. They surged forth and some broke the line to get at the enemy. Two of them went down immediately but a third was holding off two Gaians at once. The Thalassan shield wall joined him with resolution and the pair of Gaians were cut down.
“We surrender!” a man pleaded.
Some in the line still remained determined and one marched up to where Xander stood in his wall and rained blows at the Thalassan officer. He ducked under his shield and slid his sword into the man’s exposed thigh. A blossom of red formed when he freed the blade but his enemy only grunted at that and pushed forward. Xander smacked his shield boss into the man’s face and his nose crumpled in the impact. The Gaian tumbled to the deck on his back and was too slow to block the thrust that sheared through his mail and into his heart.
“We surrender!” came the cry again and this time the majority of the enemy dropped their weapons and shields in a clutter on the deck. Even the more resolute ones could not hope to face over thirty of the enemy while their comrades balked. They dropped their arms too.
“Reload,” Xander ordered and the men of his line stepped back to reload their pistols while he walked to the vessel’s commander. “And your name is?”
Severance (The Sovereign Book 1) Page 33
